The countdown is upon us, the days and hours are counting down for the turn of the clock and the beginning of the New Year. It’s exciting! I wonder what the New Year will bring? What adventures will I take myself on? What opportunities will knock at my door? How will my life be different a year from now? The only thing I know for sure is that I have zero control over any of it, I can only control how I treat myself and how I treat others and I’m ok with that.

For the past few years, instead of creating a new year’s resolution to feel guilty about not achieving, I have had a word. My word reflects where I am in my life or a time in my life I have recently experienced. Sometimes I have one word, sometimes 2 or sometimes a word gets added as I progress into my new year.

My first word was ‘nurture’, I decided I needed to give back to myself. After experiencing a great loss in my life I went into survival mode. I forgot how to really care for myself, I didn’t show myself any compassion, I just went straight ahead with what I had to do. While the outside smiled, laughed, hugged, got married, finished a Diploma and celebrated, the inside was depleted, I had nothing more to give to myself or to the people I love. ‘Nurture’ helped me turn the mirror on myself and I asked myself what I needed and how I’d achieve it. It was the beginning of a new me, I recognised that I was learning to live my life without my Mum (and I still am). I learnt how to spend time with myself again – a scary task when grief is your constant companion. I learnt that Yoga is a perfect match for me. I reminded myself that I am loved. I learnt that the ocean really does soothe my soul.

Another word was ‘grateful’. ‘Grateful’ is such a wonderful word because it encourages you to recognise everything that is wonderful in your life. Here are a few of the things I am grateful for… my health, my husband, my family, my friends, my clients, my abilities, my capacity to continue to learn, the income that I make, the home that I have created, my ocean view, my garden, clean running water, my freedom to choose, I am grateful that I went ‘home’ for Christmas and saw most of my family, I am grateful for the meals we shared, the laughter that filler our childhood home and the gifts I gave and received. And there are so many more…

Dear reader, I am so very grateful that you visit Gardens and Polka Dots to read my words. Thank you!

Now it is time for a new word to enter my life. I welcome JOY! Joy will envelope my whole being, it will sit in my tummy where anxiety was, it will stand tall on my shoulders where the expectations were, it will fill my head where the stresses lived, it will control my tongue where the frustrations burst forth. Joy will remind me that it’s all ok because I have so many things to be ‘grateful’ for.

The magical thing about having a word is that the word never leaves, I don’t hand it in for a new word at the end of the year and it doesn’t expire it just continues to be. Eventually all of the words moosh together to become ‘life’.

It’s Friday the 13th, also known as ‘Black Friday’ – a day when superstition prevails and sense becomes uncommon. Oh, dear! What should the ‘normal’ people do….. Did you know that as well as all of the usual superstitions – don’t walk under ladders, stay away from black cats, don’t break a mirror – there is also a superstition in relation to Friday the 13th. Yes, some people, I don’t know how many, but some people are actually afraid of this day. Apparently bad things will happen so it’s best to call in sick and lock the door.

If your boss doesn’t believe you, make sure that you inform them that you have friggatriskaidekaphobia. Or if that doesn’t fly, try paraskevidekatriaphobia because that one has been around a lot longer. I know they’re crazy long names to use with your sick, “I’m not coming to work” voice. In fact, in comparison to the many, many, botanical plant names that I know (and I can spell them too – thanks to Janet) these beauties have me tongue tied to the extreme.

I have a few superstitions of my own that I shall be brave enough to share. These aren’t limited to any particular day, these are every day out and about superstitions. I don’t know when I first developed them -yes, I have two, no, I have three, the last one I have thankfully grown out of. But I have had them since I can remember, I even passed one onto a friend once. That’s not good sharing.

The outgrown superstition is one that some of you may be able to relate to – it’s the ‘must not step on the cracks in the concrete’. Being the shy child that I was I found it quite natural to walk, head down, avoiding eye contact and all concrete cracks. But in a city where I am invisible whilst being present, taking my eyes off my fellow pedestrians may render me with a dislocated shoulder. I am thankful for the disappearance of this superstition from my life and no I do not know what the consequences were for stepping on a crack.

The second superstition is of man holes – scary things, you don’t know what’s down there and you don’t know if the ‘lid’ is on tightly enough to support your weight. I avoid these things at all costs taking the long way or finding the path of least resistance, either jumping over or placing tippy toe ever so slightly on the cross bar. The cross bar should support me, after all it holds up the ‘lid’! The consequences of this one are far less tantilising than Marilyn standing over a subway vent let me tell you.

And finally, one must not walk under metal street signs. You know the huge signs signalling a suburb direction… huge! If one was to fall it would render me either symmetrical or asymmetrical and I’m not sure what I’d prefer. And don’t get all ‘she’s crazy’ on me, next time you’re walking under a huge sign have a look at the far side of the post, I bet the grass is worn!

Now back to Black Friday, here are some fascinating and beautiful black plants for your eyes. Either flower, foliage or fruit is black or so dark it is deemed black. I don’t have black plants in my garden or inside my home. I think of myself more of a bright sunshiny plant person but these images below could twist my arm ever so slightly.

Black and dainty

Terrarium with black Mondo Grass

Colocasia escuenta ‘Black Magic’

Shiny Black Texture

Black & White

Black Fruit / Black Tomato

Black Foliage / Black Pot / Black Indoors

We often think of black being dark, heavy and gloomy but as you can see from these plants they come in bold, striking, delicious and even dainty varieties.

Have you found some black inspiration for your garden and indoor plants? I have. This weekend will be perfect for a visit to my local garden centre.

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